It Is A Matter of Our Choice.

February 7, 2009

Here is a story-

Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My

question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fund raising dinner for a school that serves children with

learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a

speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After

extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature

does, is done with perfection. Yet my son, Arun, cannot learn things

as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children

do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was

stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Arun, who was

mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity

to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way

other people treat that child.' Then he told the following

story: Arun and I had walked past a park where some boys Arun knew

were playing cricket. Arun asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?'

I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Arun on

their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were

allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of

belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite

of his handicaps. I approached one of the boys and asked

(not expecting much) if Arun could play. The boy looked around for

guidance and said, 'We're losing and the game is in the second

inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to

bat after the current batsman is out. Arun struggled over to the

team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched

with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my

joy at my son being accepted. Arun's team scored a few runs but was

still behind by three runs when the last batsman got out. Arun put on

a glove and went in to bat. Even though no hits came his way, he was

obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning

from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands. Arun was scheduled

to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Arun bat and give

away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Arun was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was

all but impossible because Arun didn't even know how to hold the bat

properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Arun stepped

up to the crease, the bowler, recognizing that the other team

was putting winning aside for this moment in Arun's life, moved in a

few steps to lob the ball in softly so Arun could at least make

contact. The first ball came and Arun swung clumsily and missed. The

bowler again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards

Arun. As the ball came in, Arun swung at the ball and hit a slow

ground ball right back to the bowler and began to run. The game would

now be over. The bowler picked up the soft grounder and could

have easily thrown the ball on to the wicket. Arun would have been

out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the bowler

threw the ball right over the wicket, out of reach of all team

mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started

yelling, 'Arun, run, run for the first run!' Never in his life had

Arun ever run that far, but he made it for the first run. He

scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone

yelled, 'Run for the second, run for the second!' Catching his

breath, Arun awkwardly ran again for the second, gleaming and

struggling to make it to the base. By the time Arun ran for the

second run deliriously, the right fielder had the ball . The

smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the

hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the wicket keeper

for the tag, but he understood the bowler's intentions so he, too,

intentionally threw the ball high and far over the wicket keepr's

head. Arun ran for the third run . All were screaming, 'Arun, Arun,

Arun, all the Way Arun. Arun reached the third run, and was cheered

as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his

face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and

humanity into this world'. Arun didn't make it to another summer. He

died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me

so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her

little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:

We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second

thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices,

people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely

through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is

too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

February 8, 2009

Dear Ranjit,

It is a very heartwarming story. Thank you very much for sharing it.

Sreedevi menon

Om Namo narayanaya

--- On Sat, 2/7/09, ranjith_sankar <no_reply > wrote:

ranjith_sankar <no_reply >[Guruvayur] It Is A Matter of Our Choice.guruvayur Date: Saturday, February 7, 2009, 3:17 AM

It Is A Matter of Our Choice.Here is a story-Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?At a fund raising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection. Yet my son, Arun, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Arun, who was mentally and physically disabled

comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story: Arun and I had walked past a park where some boys Arun knew were playing cricket. Arun asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Arun on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps. I approached one of the boys and asked (not expecting much) if Arun could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing and the game is in the second inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat after

the current batsman is out. Arun struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted. Arun's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three runs when the last batsman got out. Arun put on a glove and went in to bat. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands. Arun was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Arun bat and give away their chance to win the game?Surprisingly, Arun was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Arun didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Arun

stepped up to the crease, the bowler, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Arun's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Arun could at least make contact. The first ball came and Arun swung clumsily and missed. The bowler again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Arun. As the ball came in, Arun swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the bowler and began to run. The game would now be over. The bowler picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball on to the wicket. Arun would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the bowler threw the ball right over the wicket, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Arun, run, run for the first

run!' Never in his life had Arun ever run that far, but he made it for the first run. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run for the second, run for the second!' Catching his breath, Arun awkwardly ran again for the second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Arun ran for the second run deliriously, the right fielder had the ball . The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the wicket keeper for the tag, but he understood the bowler's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the wicket keepr's head. Arun ran for the third run . All were screaming, 'Arun, Arun, Arun, all the Way Arun. Arun reached the third run, and was cheered as the hero who hit the

grand slam and won the game for his team.'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'. Arun didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day! AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.